Soul Calibur: Chronicles of the Soul
by Senbonzakura Kageyoshi
Summary: Based on Soul Calibur III timeline. A series of tales told by the characters themselves. A chronicle of each of the character's motives and past. Chapter five, Priestess of the Winds & Blade of Youth is up! Please read and review! I'll appreciate it!
1. Soul Embrace

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to anything in the Soul Calibur franchise. Characters in this fanfiction are owned by Namco, with the exception of my own creations.

**Author's Note:** I am torn between two types of writing styles. Originally, I planned to write this fanfiction through the eyes of the character, meaning in the first person narrative. However, I am not very proficient in this style. But I felt that this style fits this fanfiction best. I would like to get the reader's feedback on whether or not to continue in this style or just switch over to third person narrative. Any kind of help would be appreciated!

_Transcending history and the world,_

_a tale of souls and swords,_

_eternally retold.._

**Soul Calibur**

_Chronicles of the Soul_

**Prologue**

Soul Embrace

My body felt as if I was released from an eternal prison of endless pain, sorrow, and guilt. My mind was blank for a moment until I finally realized that I was free from evil's grasp. Looking up, I saw the hideous image of my former self, the azure armor that held captive of my soul, finally disappearing before my eyes.

At that moment, I heard the painful cries of the sword that I once held in my grasp. Soul Edge was weakened, but how? A faint image flashed through my mind. The final battle between the azure knight had left a warrior severely injured. But at that moment, I resisted the control Soul Edge had over me and not before long, I felt the prison around me break apart slowly.

My eyes shifted over to the side to see that the true Sword of Salvation had also appeared before my presence. It was resonating with a powerful aura, a divine energy swirling around the crystalized blade. Once I grasped the sword with my right hand, I pulled it out of the ground and felt its power surge through-out my body.

I felt the sword speak to me in my mind. It wanted me to strike Soul Edge down and seal it once and for all. I knew it had to be done. The evil sword has struck down the innocent, both as a weapon forged from darkness and as the azure knight. My anger was more than enough to fuel my desires to strike down the wicked blade.

"No longer will you corrupt nor torture the innocent." I spoke to the evil blade, while raising the Soul Calibur above it's moving eye, "For I, Siegfried Schtauffen, shall finally put an end to your legacy of malevolence!" as those words escaped my mouth, I finally struck down the sword of evil.

Both Soul Edge and Soul Calibur were now locked in an everlasting embrace, sealing any malice that resonated from the malevolent blade. A new journey opened up to me. A journey of repentance to those whom I made suffer as the azure knight. But before I can set out on my journey, I must bring these swords away from the world. It is now my sworn duty to keep the swords from ever harming anyone again. It must be secluded, for the sake of the people.

I lifted the heavy blades up from the ground, both Soul Edge and Soul Calibur were finally put to an eternal slumber. Walking out of the ruined cathedral, I saw the sun finally beginning to set down the horizon. The doorway to the evening has opened. With both blades in my hand, for once I felt the heavy burden of responsibility. A responsibility that I must uphold, for I am the guardian of the Soul Embrace..


	2. The Enigma

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to anything in the Soul Calibur franchise. Characters in this fanfiction are owned by Namco, with the exception of my own creations.

**Author's Note:** Thanks for the reviews, TriggerdFlame and DiLaZirK. Much appreciated. I'll continue doing the first person narrative for a couple more chapters, to see how it goes. If it doesn't turn out too well, I'll revise them into third person. Thanks again!

_Transcending history and the world,_

_a tale of souls and swords,_

_eternally retold.._

**Soul Calibur**

_Chronicles of the Soul_

**Chapter I**

The Enigma

_Alas! Alas! Time eats away our lives,_

-"Les Fleus du Mal: L'Ennemi," Charles Baudelaire

Peaceful death. What does it feel like? I've asked this question to myself countless of times in the past and still, I have no answer. I have traversed this world, searching for an answer that will finally take me away from this horrible place. Cursed for an eternity, I've been through the passing ages of time, trapped in a cycle of eternal life. For once in my lifetime, I finally want to feel the peaceful moments of death, anything for the chance to finally depart from this world.

But not before long, after I was brought into the land of the living once more, I learned that Soul Edge had appeared, along with the Sword of Salvation, Soul Calibur. This was my opportunity to obtain both for myself and finally end my destiny as a tool of reincarnation. But seeking out both swords would be no easy task to handle.

I heard his voice call out to my being. A voice familiar to me. A voice I haven't heard in ages. Yes, the spirit of the evil blade was finally calling out to me once more. I set forth to the direction of his voice, leading me to an abandoned and ruined cathedral. The structure of the building had nearly been demolished, as if a great battle had occurred within its core. The stained glass that would normally create beautiful images on the floor with the sunlight had been shattered, pieces of ceramic glass scattered around the solid marble surface.

I could still hear his voice, slowly fading towards the dark. I can feel his presence fading into nothingness. Then it came to me. The violet aura of the blade began to swirl around the surrounding atmosphere of the cathedral, a vortex of spinning malice had engulfed the ruined cathedral entirely. It was clear that Soul Edge was beginning to weaken. No, who could have done this? My only means of death will soon escape my grasp! No, I can't let this happen.

_Siegfried.._

_Siegfried.._

Siegfried? The sword was chanting this name. Could he be the one who challenged the mighty sword of evil? Could he be the one keeping me from seeking my death? I had to prevent the spirit of Soul Edge from dying. Then I saw it, pieces of an azure armor lying on the floor. Reincarnation to this spirit is the only way to keep him alive, if only for a little while.

And with that decision, I performed the ancient ritual that I had learned a long time ago. The ancient ritual that would reincarnate the spirit of those who died. The spirit of Soul Edge was returning to the suit of armor lying on the ground. Grinning at the sight of the armor becoming animated once more, my plans were coming back to life. The azure knight has returned. Returned to this world as a new and more powerful creature.

The azure knight had informed me that Siegfried carried both the physical manifestations of Soul Edge and Soul Calibur with him. Now the true task is to find this "Siegfried" and take the swords away from his hands. With this scythe, I will scavenge the land for this man and those who oppose me in my task, shall come along with me to the other realm. No one shall confine me into this world any longer. No man, no woman, nothing. For I am Zasalamel, the enigma..


	3. The Resolute Avenger

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to anything in the Soul Calibur franchise. Characters in this fanfiction are owned by Namco, with the exception of my own creations.

**Author's Note: **Well, the next chapter is up! This time, I decided to write more instead of the usual. I will still continue the first person narrative. If anyone has any comments about this style, please review and tell me. I'd appreciate it very much! Thanks. - Senbonzakura Kageyoshi.

_Transcending history and the world,_

_a tale of souls and swords,_

_eternally retold.._

**Soul Calibur**

_Chronicles of the Soul_

**Chapter II**

The Resolute Avenger

_And when one have mastered the secrets of this way,_

_a flower is nothing particular._

-"Fushikaden," Zeami Motokiyo

The cherry blossoms began to fall from their respective trees, each one touching the ground like raindrops from the sky. These beautiful pink petals felt as if a life is taken from the world as they touched the ground, one by one. He was taken away from me. Taken away from my loving hand forever. He had taught me everything he knew. The teachings of the battou style was handed to me for the sole purpose of carrying on his undying legacy.

I had no family in this world. By the time I knew I was alone, I knew I had no one by my side. I was taken to an orphanage and spent a couple of my childhood years there. However, the people often shunned me away from them. I was different from the rest. Looking at the other children around me, I noticed that I was much lighter than them and as I looked at the mirror, I could see that my eyes were a the shade of deep blue. Now I knew.

Eventually, my heart began to close up around me. I didn't care for anyone, none at all. With all the violence and hateful words thrown at me, my loneliness and despair began to grow from the abyss of my heart. I couldn't take it any longer. My suffering would grow and grow unless I did something about it. Eventually, I ran away from the orphanage. I escaped all that torment but thinking to myself, I knew it was a mistake. Where would I go now?

I wandered to cities beyond the lands, looking for shelter to cover myself from the harsh winds of the world. No one took me in. As I thought to myself, my sadness began to grow once more. I was having second thoughts about leaving the orphanage, but what was I to do? I began to ponder my death. A sad and lonely death. I didn't care anymore. Dying would surely relieve me of my pain.

But on that one fateful day, a middle-aged man found me sleeping on the ground, pieces of disgusting garbage and paper on top of me. I didn't know what went through his mind that day. As I woke up, I found myself in a small room, on a small comfy bed wrapped tightly within the embrace of a warm blanket. Where was I? I remembered asking myself. Then my eyes wandered to the door, a shadow figure appeared behind the oil-paper entrance. I hid under the blanket, not knowing who it was. I was terrified. Was he going to kill me?

And as I looked up, I saw a man with a tray of food in-front of me. He had a smile that I had never seen before. It was a heartwarming smile that assured me he was a good person with a kind heart. That's when I knew that I could trust him. Surely enough, he took me in and asked me my name. At that time, I had no name. And so, he gave me the name Setsuka, which meant snow flower. My heart began to untangle the ropes that binded it for such a long time. Finally, I had a place to call home. A person to call family.

He was a bodyguard for the region and was formidable warrior. He used the battou technique, the art of fighting from the draw. It was visually stunning to see him practice everyday. His sword flashed like lightning and the whole style was graceful. I became fond of the style and watched him practice everytime he had the chance. Eventually, he began teaching me the way of the battou and I devoted myself to the training.

One day, he entrusted me a letter. A letter I was to deliver to a martial artist far away. I accepted the favor and took on this journey. I've always wondered if he was testing me by sending me on that long journey. Towards the end of it, it had taken me a couple of months to reach the destination. I finally reached the martial artist. He was an old hermit living in the mountains. He told me he trains himself to become the best in the world. He then offered me a chance to train with him but I politely refused. I had someone at home to get back to.

And so, I continued my long journey once again back home. Upon my return, my eyes couldn't believe what I was seeing in-front of me. My master was lying on the floor, his arm bleeding profusely. I bandaged him up and took it upon myself to take care of him until his arm recovered. I tried asking him how he received those wounds but he always found a way to drag off into a different subject. From that point on, he would never wield a sword again.

However, even if training for him was over, he devoted himself to training me. The training became much more serious, always scolding me on what I was doing wrong. He was longing to perfect the battou style but now he couldn't. He only had me to do it for him. At times, I felt like crying but he was there to comfort me. Finally, I knew what love felt like.

We could never afford anything expensive and I respected that. But he really wanted to give me something I've always wanted ever since he took me in. He had bought me a beautiful long-sleeved kimono with a heart motif. It was then I finally had the chance to wear the beautiful dress I had been longing for. I was deeply in gratitude and knew that he loved me in every single way. My feelings for him began to change. My heart began to open up to him. I was falling in-love.

I loved him as a father. I loved him as my master. But this new love I felt was for the one that took me in with his heart and cared for me all this time. But when my true affections emerged from the depths of my heart, he passed away. But before his death, he told me to live a free life away from hatred or fear. He told me that one who lives by the sword harbors no regret. Then he mentioned his name. The man that had beat him in the duel that cost him his arm, his life as a warrior.

"I did not teach you this art for the purpose of revenge." he said to me, "Live on and carry the legacy of the battou."

My tears were not enough to caress my heart from the sorrow and pain I felt that day. I lost the one person who I called family. Who I called master. Who I finally called lover. But it was too late. He was gone. And I must heal my heart the only way I can. I'm sorry master, this will be the only time I must break your promise.

Heishiro Mitsurugi, I long for your death. Some say revenge is sweet. But to me, it's a resolution I must accomplish. Prepare yourself. The resolute avenger has started the hunt..


	4. The Twisting Blade of Solitude

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to anything in the Soul Calibur franchise. Characters in this fanfiction are owned by Namco, with the exception of my own creations.

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the reviews on Setsuka's chapter. I didn't think it was that great but eh, whatever. I fixed the little narrative error Sacharja pointed out. Thanks for that one! Anyway, I'm taking character requests now. After this, which character should I do? I'm leaning more towards Tira but I'll let the readers decide!

_Transcending history and the world,_

_a tale of souls and swords,_

_eternally retold.._

**Soul Calibur**

_Chronicles of the Soul_

**Chapter III**

The Twisting Blade of Solitude

_No coward souls is mine_

_-Emily Bronte_

My sword has taken countless of innocent lives away from this wretched world. I slaughtered them all like the scum they were. Nothing but useless garbage that roamed the world with no purpose. They deserved their punishment. A punishment inflicted by my serpentine sword. I had thought nothing would get in my way in destroying the very entity responsible for my father's madness and eventually, his death.

But then I saw his face. The face of death staring into my eyes, striking deep into the core of my soul as he searched for the truth. My sword felt a strange reaction to this man, a man who reeked the stench of death. Is he the one responsible for my father's death? Is this the man? My serpentine sword began acting strange and my mental link with it had become weak. I glanced over to his hands and then realized why. He was carrying a piece of Soul Edge.

"Come back to me, my child." he spoke to me in a sinister tone. The sound of a demon escaped his mouth and pierced my ears with pure darkness.

"Scum, who the hell are you?" I yelled, wondering why I felt such a strong connection towards this rotting corpse.

He grinned and laughed out rudely, raising his twin swords up high, "Why, it's been such a long time my sweet. .darling. .daughter!"

Images of long forgotten memories struck my mind like lightning, speeding through my childhood years then towards the present. I remembered a man staring at me as I looked up, his face blurred from my vision. Then I snapped back into reality. Raising my head, I stared deep into the man's eyes.

Then I knew.

My eyes grew wide and my right hand gripped the handle of my blade tightly. Anger began furiously rushing into me, feeding into my sword. I finally knew the truth. My cursed bloodline. I was living a lie all this time. Count Valentine, my mother, everything was fake! All but this. The heavy weights of truth crushed my very existence. This blood that rushes through my body. I am a part of him. I am a part of Soul Edge.

I quickly took a step back and whirled my sword around, regaining my full control over it. The truth was revealed but it still didn't change my main goal. I was to destroy Soul Edge and now, along with it's wielder. The cursed blood that gave me life. My father.

"So, what do you say? Come back to daddy!" he said, mocking me in the most disgusting way.

"Silence! I can change my own destiny!"

My blade extended towards him like a striking viper hunting it's prey. My eyes widened as the man quickly disappeared from my sight and appeared above me. In a flash, he quickly struck both of his swords down towards me. My snake sword quickly retracted itself towards me and I was able to block the forceful slash.

His strength impressed me. The power of Soul Edge really did exist and his ferocity was showing his prowess with both blades. I pushed my blade against his and was able to kick him back a few feet away from me. I looked at his blade as it began glowing a dark violet aura, purple electricity surged through the blade as he entered a strange stance.

"C'mon!" he yelled as he quickly flew inches away from the ground, twirling himself towards me as his blades protruded in-front of him like an airborne drill.

My mental link with my blade did not react quickly enough and painfully, I took the full force of the blow, sending me flying through the air. As I hit the ground, I laid there motionless. I could hear his laughter from across the room as he began walking towards my frail body.

Opening my eyes, I regained my consciousness. I saw his figure towering over me, his blood red eyes staring into mine. I felt weak and was disgusted at myself for losing to the man I despised the most.

"How pitiful. What a useless daughter!" he mocked me once more. How could I lose to a foul creature such as him? Why?

Before I drifted off into a state of unconsciousness, my drooping eyes saw him hunching down on the ground, moaning in pain as he held his chest tightly with both of his hands. Did someone save me? I questioned before finally losing all consciousness.

I awoke to find that the man was gone. His evil presence was no longer around the area. Could he have died? No, his body would be lying on the ground if he did. Damn it, he flee from my grasp! Lifting my snake sword up, I noticed that my control over it had weakened tremendously. I couldn't separate the blades any longer.

Why was this happening?

I decided to return home to my mansion. On the way there, I stopped by a popular city filled with many libraries. I wanted to research the origins of Soul Edge and perhaps, find a way to destroy it for good. I had picked out and bought around thirty books while I was in the library, each texts of old and some texts of new. I knew that I could find an answer to my dilemma in one of these books.

In the depths of my mansion's alchemical lab, I confined myself there for almost a three days, doing nothing but research. I was driven and motivated to kill Soul Edge forever and I had to find a way. A way to get rid of his rotting corpse from this world. I finally came upon the last book, which looked much older and more fragile than the others. It was written in a strange form of writing I couldn't understand. With the help of my other books, I slowly deciphered each word of the ancient scriptures.

To my amazement, I continued reading without pausing once. The book told me of the origins of the cursed sword and how it came to be. Detailed information that seemed mythical by my standards but I had a vibe that it wasn't a myth at all. I then noticed information about another sword linked with Soul Edge. Soul Calibur, the counterpart of the cursed sword existed. It was a weapon used to restrain the evil of Soul Edge and lent it's power into sealing it from this world. This was surely no work of fiction. It was reality.

A month passed by and I had completely deciphered every word and text of the ancient scriptures. With a sigh of relief, I had learned valuable information that could finally end my long journey of suffering and pain. Having read through the ancient scriptures at least twice, I closed my eyes for a brief moment to contemplate, several thoughts running through my mind. Thoughts about my father, Count Valentine. But that vile creature's face flashed through my mind as I thought of him. I refused to think of that rotting corpse as my father. But the truth revealed it all, I couldn't escape from this cursed blood.

Hearing the sound of the door open, I jumped out of my seat and took my serpentine blade in my grasp. My eyes looked over at the open door to see a tall, dark skinned man in a white robe. An intruder.

"Who are you?" I questioned angrily.

He looked at me with a smirk on his face, smiling as he slowly walked towards me. He noticed the book on the table and gestured his hand towards it, "Did you read that book?" he asked.

The room was silent. Only the cold winds outside could be heard through the mansion walls of my lab. I reached for the book and grabbed it, taking it into my possession and tight embrace. I raised my sword up high, ready to defend the book in any way I could. My serpentine blade still wasn't responding to my every command.

I was in deep trouble.

Seeing my blade drawn out, a massive scythe appeared beside him. He grasped the long white handle as he gestured me to come towards him, "Give me the book."

I didn't answer. I refused to hand him the book. It was my key to finally destroying the evil blade! And within that moment, I unleashed a barrage of whiplashes towards the intruder, my serpent sword flailing around like a wild beast. My control over Valentine was beginning to break. It was acting wildly on it's own.

He was able to block my flurry of slashes and both our weapons clashed onto one another, sparks flying everywhere as they hit the multiple papers on the floor. Everything around the floor was beginning to burn and began rapidly engulfing everything else in flames. I had to finish this quick before my lab ended up in ruins.

I released my blade away from his massive weapon, getting ready to ensnare him with my sword. Then at that moment, once again my sword behaved in a twirling sequence of madness. As I tried to get a handle over my weapon, the intruder had found an opening in my defenses and quickly struck me down with a heavy blow.

I managed to stand up and take my distance away from him when I felt the embrace of nothingness close to me. The book was gone. I looked over to him to see that the book was now in his possession.

Then, he spoke, "This is a mistake from my past. The world no longer needs this. . ." and with those words, his hand engulfed the book in a mighty crimson flame, completely turning it into bits of dark ashes. He turned his back towards me, completely disregarding my presence and my shock as he started to walk out the door.

The flames grew wild and it separated me away from the intruder. I lifted Valentine from the ground and tried to go after him and yelled, "Stop!"

But he continued walking on. He paused for a moment to turn his face towards me, "If you wish to learn everything about the cursed sword and the spirit sword, then follow the knight you know well . . ." he then vanished behind the curtain of flames.

I tried to follow him but stopped and turned back. I had to put out the flames in my lab before everything was destroyed. After minutes of putting out the flames, I sat down on the charred ground and lifted my head towards the burnt ceiling, closing my eyes as I wandered into a deep thought. The book was gone but yet, the information I had read was still etched into my memory.

The Sword of Salvation. I had to obtain it to finally destroy the cursed sword, my cursed bloodline, my father, and finally end my long journey. I should be able to do it with this sword, Valentine. . . The twisting blade of solitude. . .


	5. The Misguided Angel of Death

**Disclaimer:**I do not own any rights to anything in the Soul Calibur franchise. Characters in this fanfiction are owned by Namco, with the exception of my own creations.

**Author's Note: **I decided to do Tira's chapter next. Perhaps, the next one shall be Xianghua or Talim. Either one. And sorry if I haven't updated for a long while. Been busy with stuff, especially with games. My next update will probably come sooner than most.

_Transcending history and the world,_

_a tale of souls and swords,_

_eternally retold.._

**Soul Calibur**

_Chronicles of the Soul_

**Chapter IV**

The Misguided Angel of Death

"_Prophet!" said I, "thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! - _

_Whether Tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore. . ."_

"_The Raven," Edgar Allan Poe_

Black feathers scattered through-out the sky like a blizzard of dark ice. Ah, the lovely ravens that surround me. My family, my only friends. _Friends_. . . Ha! Whatever. Who needs family or friends anyway? Raised as a merciless killer, this feeling of love and kindness never existed for me. As a child, I grew up knowing how it felt to drive a blade towards my victim's body! The feeling of blood splattering across my face. Ever since then, it became an important part of my life, a stimulating and most pleasurable feeling that surged through my veins. .

Looking back at the past, I remembered that day. The day I had finally escaped the talon of the Bird of Passage. We were assigned on an assassination mission. I remembered this event because the sky felt strange. So peaceful yet a malevolent aura flew with the winds. And then, it happened. Rain. Black droplets of water began to pour from above and as I stood there looking, my companions dropped before my eyes, one by one as they became consumed by the mysterious black water.

_What's going on? What the hell is happening?_

I remember yelling. I was panicking as the rain continued to beat down upon us. I too began feeling the vibrating feeling of evil running through my entire body, a thousand needles piercing every part of me, each with a force so strong that it felt as if I was being impaled with large swords.

I was laying there on the ground motionless. The rain continued on and kept its onslaught of pain against all of us. Finally, my pain stopped. I was finally going to die. The pain would end there.

_Death. ._

Out of the dark depths of my thoughts, I found myself screaming 'til no end. As I opened my eyes, I looked around me to see a different place. By that time, the memory of my other comrades, the Bird of Passage, and the pain I felt during that black rain, became a faded memory.

I was taken in by a loving family in a nearby town near the forest where they found me and my other comrades, whom I presume dead by that time. I _despised_ them. However, I had a slight sense of gratitude for them for saving my life. For a while, I gave in to their kindness and became a part of their family. I was a false entity being kept inside the kind embrace of people I _hated_.

_Hate. ._

"Tira!" her voice sounded terrible. It was like listening to a shriek of a banshee, "How could you free Kamin's bird!" she scolded.

I was being scolded for giving a living thing it's freedom. To give a bird it's ability to spread it's wings again. I wasn't sure why I did it, but I thought it would be a kind thing to do. Apparently, it was not.

_HATE. ._

They were laying there on the floor, my hands gripped by the red liquid I adored the most. I knew I couldn't live without this pleasure. I had a happy smile on my face. The aroma of fresh blood. Human blood. I was back to myself again.

"Thank you for releasing that trigger, 'mum'." A sinister grin appeared on my face.

_Farewell. .and good riddance. ._

Ha. Pathetic. I can't believe I let myself be taken in by such weak people. But at least they gave me the pleasure I've been dying for! It was amazing. Their blood splattered across my body. It was like bathing in pure heavenly water.

_Red water. ._

When I had left that disgusting village, I began my killing spree to feed my hunger for blood. To give myself the ultimate happiness I can only get through means of murderous intent.

_Murderous intent. ._

As time passed, little by little, my mind began to change. Changing me into this little devil I am now. I couldn't control my feelings anymore. The slightest thing would bring me to sadness and anger yet, another thing would bring me to instant joy and happiness. The swinging pendulum of time swings in unison with the swinging blade of my mood.

But then, I became more confused.

_Confusion. . AHHH!_

I couldn't take myself anymore. These surge of emotions are tearing me apart. Why? Why? What the hell am I? HA HA HA.

_Smile. ._

Then rumors began to spread. Rumors about an azure knight who commited mass murder. Mass genocide of living things. Finally, someone I can relate to! Maybe this knight can help me with my troubles. I began searching for him. Asking anyone who knew of his whereabouts.

_Failure. . SADNESS. ._

But while I was gathering information, a man had told me that the azure knight had disappeared. NO! He couldn't have disappeared. I needed him. I NEEDED HIM!

_Smile. . JOY. ._

Rumors spread yet again about his reapparance. Finally, I had this chance to meet him once more. I will not let him get away from me again! I followed clues to his current position, following the trail of murder, the trail of blood, the scent of his malicious aura. Then, there he was. A demon masked within the heavy armor of azure blue. It was him.

_Smile. . EXCITEMENT. ._

"Finally, I've found you," I smiled and bowed before him, "Someone whom I can give myself entirely to. . ."

He had given me the pleasure of being a servant for him and his powerful Soul Edge. I was given two simple tasks. One was to find the knight known as Siegfried and take from him the Soul Embrace, the two blades that were fused together by Soul Calibur, the spirit sword.

_Destroy. ._

I was to destroy that sword and release the power of the true Soul Edge. But it's no easy task. That bastard's moving around like a hideous mole, lurking underground and hiding from my blade. It's making me angry!

_Anger. . _

My second mission is to find a suitable host for Soul Edge. A vessel to hold the blade's sinister power. Seems like an easy task. Quite fun too. It'd be giving my master what he desires and it'd be giving me the pleasure I love.

_Pleasure. . _

With my flock of ravens, I set across this land and look far and wide. Angels above and demons below. Watch my every move. The Misuided Angel of Death shall tear through this land apart. Piece..by piece.

_Smile._

Tee-hee.


	6. Priestess of the Winds & Blade of Youth

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any rights to anything in the Soul Calibur franchise. Characters in this fanfiction are owned by Namco, with the exception of my own creations.

**Author's Note: **Yun-Seong and Talim's Chapter! To be honest, I don't really like Talim or Yun-seong for that matter, but since Talim's such a popular character with the fans, I decided to pair her up with the sucky Yun-seong since their story intertwines with each other. Bleh, don't like the way this chapter came out. I'll probably revise it later.

_Transcending history and the world,_

_a tale of souls and swords,_

_eternally retold.._

**Soul Calibur**

_Chronicles of the Soul_

**Chapter V**

The Priestess of the Winds

&

The Blade of Youth

_If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee. . ._

"_Ode to the West Wind," Percy Bysshe Shelley_

_The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do._

_Walter Bagehot_

_**Talim**_

A long time has passed after I had left my home village to seek the mysterious aura that the winds carried with them around the world. A mysterious aura engulfed by darkness and pure evil. You see, I have the power to talk with the winds, for I am a priestess of the winds. I was one of the children in my village chosen to be the next heir to the priestesshood. They called me Talim, a southeast asian word that meant "sharp".

After receiving lessons from the priestesses of our village, I finally gained the title of apprentice priestess and was ready to set out on quests to hone my skills and ultimately become a true wind priestess. A ceremonial party was held for me by the village chief and along with that, he bestowed me two elbow blades that were used by the High Priestess herself before she passed onto the other life, guided by the winds through heaven.

Afterwards, I set out on my long quest to achieve my goal and one of the tasks I was to perform was to find the source of evil that were being carried along by the howling winds. I began to trace the aura and stumbled upon a steep ravine with an abandoned and ruined village hidden within it. Windmills rotated with the natural force of the winds and waterwheels turned with the force of the gushing water from a lengthy and most elegant river that flowed through the abandoned village.

The winds eventually guided me to a group of children hiding in a ruined watermill, bunched up together and cowering in fear. At first, they became very fearful of me for they haven't seen a stranger like me in probably a couple of months. These poor children suffered through a hard life in this village and all the happiness they spent in it were completely obliterated. After talking with the children in a calm and kind manner, they eventually gained my trust. I was informed that one of the children was deeply ill with some sort of incurable disease.

Without hesitation, I asked one of the children to show me the young child and was eventually guided towards a small, confined room. As I entered, I felt the same evil aura that the winds carried. The same evil aura that I was to vanquish in order to restore the balance of good and evil in the world. I slowly walked up to the boy who was sitting on the floor with his knees folded up, his fragile head leaning on one knee.

"Hey there," I said, "How are you feeling?"

The boy lifted his head away from his knees and looked up at me, his dull eyes staring straight at me. A faint smile slowly crept on his face but he didn't respond. That smile of despair and sadness struck me deeply and immediately felt sympathy for this young boy. I slowly lifted him up from the floor and caged him in a tight embrace.

"Don't worry," I reassured him with my words of gentle kindness, "I will find a way to remove the evil that plagues you."

_**Yun-Seong**_

Ah, being so far away from home has never felt so good. Adventuring and traversing through all these lands makes my blood rush and give me an exciting feeling inside. Of course, the blood that fuels me always brings me to problems and other sorts of unwanted attention but hey, that's just the way I am. One lucky thing I get to do that I'm really thankful for is to get away from that annoying old lady, Seong Mi-Na. She's always pestering me and talking to me like I'm a child. I remember telling her that she should leave Soul Edge and it's problematic matters to the youthful people of the world.

And of course, I received a beating.

Soul Edge. The legendary Sword of Salvation. The same one my rival was pursuing. I have to beat him. I have to be better than him. No longer will I look up to him as my hero and look at him as my sworn rival. Hwang, I will get Soul Edge and take the title as a hero of our mother nation of Korea!

Luckily, I was able to find clues to the whereabouts of the sword's location. I found myself following a couple of children towards a small, abandoned village where watermills and elegant rivers of old flow. From what I've heard, the village was destroyed during a small war for a fragment of Soul Edge. Now, it's just a desolate place filled with children who survived.

When I had arrived, the children greeted me with open arms and with a cheerful attitude. I felt welcome and safe in their home, until _she _came along. It seems I wasn't the only one in search of the whereabouts of Soul Edge. She was a rather short girl with a dark complexion. She wore a white outfit attire fit for something like a priestess or nun of some sort, red ribbons wrapped around her limbs. When I dared look at her face, I saw eyes of beauty and exquisiteness.

But that wasn't the case.

She quickly struck at me with her fists, holding what seems to be two blades attached to a handle, in which she held the blades facing towards her elbows. I stared at her face to see that she was serious about this. Impossible. Why would someone as good looking as I am be a target for such an innocent and gentle _looking_ girl? Bah!

"What are you doing?" I questioned her, refusing to draw my blade, "I don't wish to fight you." the expression on her face was more frightening than the blades she wielded, "There's no way I would scar that pretty face of yours."

_**Talim**_

"What are you doing here?" I asked the lone stranger with red hair. He seemed innocent enough but looks can be deceiving, "Who led you to this place?" I questioned his motives. I motioned for the children to hide inside the house before things got out of hand.

"Those children pointed me here." He responded as he pointed towards the children peering outside through the window, "I came here in search for clues on the whereabouts of Soul Edge," the red haired boy smiled a bit and bowed apologetically, "I'm sorry if I come across as a frightening stranger to you but please, know that I'm really a loveable and quite handsome man!"

Nothing came out of my mouth. What an egotistical young man this was. I shook my head and dropped my guard, knowing that I can trust this man's words.

_**Yun-Seong**_

"Thank you for dropping your guard," I said while holding out my right hand, "The name's Yun-Seong. I'm from the country of Korea."

She was terribly too beautiful. I couldn't stand it.

"Talim," She spoke, "From a Priestess tribe in the southeastern islands." She began walking towards the entrance that led to a small house, its decrepit walls showing vividly as a sign of age and minimal destruction.

Sitting down with the rest of the children, Talim told me the story about these children and the boy infected by some sort of evil aura. I noticed the difference between the child infected with the evil aura and that of the children. The children seemed playful towards me but the boy avoided me at all costs. He even avoids playing with the other children. But he didn't avoid the kind priestess that aided him. She really is a kind-hearted person but she was grief stricken with the issue at hand.

I tried speaking to her and tried to alleviate her of the worries about the ill boy. With that, I saw bits of her smile awakening slowly.

Talim came up with an idea that would help treat the boy of his illness. However, it would be a big risk to her life as well. Talim told the boy about it but he refused to do anything at all.

"It hurts too much. My body aches of pain and it is becoming too unbearable now. I just want it all to end. I just want to die!" the boy yelled, tears of sadness flowed from his eyes and ran down his face, "I just want to..die."

I felt that it was my time to step in and do something. I asked for Talim and the other children to leave so that we could have a little talking, man to man. I sat down next to him, his tears never ceasing to stop. During this, he decided to tell me everything about his past. I learned that he was the son of the Lord that controlled this now empty city and that he had obtained a fragment of Soul Edge.

His father became power hungry and eventually became a mad man. He conducted experiments on countless of people, including his own son. Eventually, the neighboring coutnries around the city took notice of what was happening. This event made his father an angry mad man and committed mass genocide of the people living in his city. Ultimately, someone finally put an end to the Lord's life and now here we are, standing on what greed and power can do to corrupt the minds of humans.

"Those children that live here," he began, "I was glad to save them from being experimented on but I.." he hid his face and began crying a waterfall of tears once more.

I stood up from where I sat and lifted my blade up, the White Storm. I pointed the blade at the young boy and told him, "This sword is a treasure passed down through my teacher's family. It is said that the blade shows what lies in the depth of the heart of the one who holds it."

The boy looked at me with a strange look before looking at the reflection of his image from the blade, "What do you see? The figure of a demon filled with twisted power? Somehow, I don't think so. Don't give up before the end. You made the right decision."

The boy was silent for moments on end until words finally escaped his mouth. It was a small whisper of gratitude.

"Thank you."

_**Talim**_

After the long conversation between the both of them, the red haired youth came out of the room with a grin pasted on his face, "I gave the little troublemaker a little talkin to." he said with a smile on his face, "The rest is up to you."

I looked at his eyes and knew that he truly was a kind-hearted man. Although a bit egotistical, he was a gentle free spirit with a lot of heart, "Thank you, Yun-seong."

I stepped inside the room and embraced the boy. The evil aura around him seemed to have changed a bit. I could no longer feel the massive evil radiating from him but it was rather miniscule now. I spoke to him,

"No matter how bad I feel, I won't give up. So I don't want you to close off your future either. . ."

The ritual involved the connection of our two hearts and the heavenly winds as our guide. In a matter of moments, both of us were intertwined by the serene grace of the winds and felt the evil energy purify all the evil that was left within our bodies. The winds had finally granted us a miracle. A miracle that exorcised the evil lingering from the heart of the young boy.

An image flashed in my mind. An image of beauty and awe bathed in glorious light. In the distance, I could see an ethereal object. It was the sword.

It's beautiful.

I made sure that the boy was recovering and finally set out on a journey. I left the place the night after, telling the children my farewells and goodbyes. All except for Yun-seong, who was sleeping like a rock and snoring like a beast.

Something was waiting for me in the west and I shall find it, whether it be good or evil. I shall fulfill my duty as a Priestess of the Winds. . .

_**Yun-Seong**_

The morning after, I was told that Talim had left earlier during the dawning of the morning. Man, I had so many more questions to ask her! I decided to pack my things and head off to follow her. I said farewell to the children but before I left, the boy stopped me for a moment.

"I'll tell you everything I know about that evil sword. But I want you to promise me that you'll make sure with your own eyes that the sword is really what you think you seek I trust in you." He said to me and nodded at his words.

He told me of an azure knight ravaging the lands of the west, wielding the powerful Soul Edge. That's where I had to go. After that, I was set on my journey to the west, hopefully meeting up with Talim again. I know that this journey will test my strength and with this, this Blade of Youth shall strike down anyone in my way!


End file.
